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Mike Florio radio spot - March 10, 2026
Transcript
Shauna Johnson: This is West Virginia University. Mike Florio, the founder of ProFootballTalk, a digital news outlet that has evolved into one of the most trusted and widely read sources for NFL news and analysis is one of this year's Academy of Distinguished Alumni inductees.
Mike Florio: It's one of those unexpected things that falls out of the sky and you ask yourself, why did they pick me? When I first became aware of it, I was hesitant just because my thought was, there's got to be somebody else who's more deserving than I am, but my son said, "You have to do this."
Shauna Johnson: A Wheeling native who now lives in Bridgeport, Florio says he found purpose and direction at the college of law.
Mike Florio: When it was time to start looking for law schools, this was one of the places I applied and I didn't have a whole lot of money at the time and it just worked out that this is the place where I chose to come. And it just, from the moment that I got here in 1988, it just clicked. And it was a great experience from start to finish. And I met my wife at law school, which helps the overall experience. But it was just one of those periods of your life where you kind of go through a few years where you're not really sure where you're going to go and how life is going to unfold and what you're going to do. And then when everything kind of falls together for that first time, it's very enjoyable and rewarding and you appreciate it more because through my four years of college, I really didn't know.
Shauna Johnson: Florio went on to a career in law, but eventually closed his practice to focus full-time on sports media after entering a partnership with NBC. That partnership led to 16 seasons of weekly appearances on Sunday Night Football and the launch of PFT Live, a weekday show airing on NBCSN, Peacock, SiriusXM, and Sky Sports. Throughout his career, Florio has interviewed some of the most influential figures in professional football, but he still feels connected to Morgantown.
Mike Florio: Everything about it is just unique to anywhere I've ever been. And I've been to plenty of different campuses, plenty of different schools, plenty of different places, and there's just something that is special and rare and unique.
Shauna Johnson: And Florio says no matter where he goes, he's always a Mountaineer.
Mike Florio: There's so many great stories and so many great people who have been through the university over the years. And to be acknowledged in this group, it means everything to me.
Shauna Johnson: So let's go. Follow our stories at wvutoday.wvu.edu.
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